1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates in general to certain new and useful improvements in protective covers for use with infant retaining devices and more particularly, to a uniquely designed sunlight and heat build-up reflecting protective cover which is capable of being used with a variety of different and varying sized and shaped retaining devices, and which includes a unique construction for retention about any unoccupied infant retaining device with which it is used.
2. Brief Description of Related Art
There is a wide variety of infant retaining devices presently available for use in transporting children in general, and infants in particular. These retaining devices include, for example, seats (e.g. so-called "car seats"), which are secured through seat belts to a seat of a vehicle, strollers, so-called "infant carriers", which are hand-held and carried by an adult, and the like. In each of these cases, the infant retaining devices is designed with an exterior shell having an exterior wall and an upwardly opening infant receiving seat section at least partially surrounded by the exterior wall. The infant is then disposed in the infant receiving seat section and usually retained therein by means of some restraining strap system or the like.
Very frequently, the infant retaining devices are constructed of a molded plastic material and, for that matter, may contain other metal components as, for example, support bars for exterior skeletal structure, and buckles on seat belts or the like. These retaining devices are also constructed in such a manner as to include other material coverings that are sensitive to the effects of heat and cold. When left unattended for a period of time in hot weather conditions, and particularly in a closed vehicle, these portions of the retaining device often become exceedingly hot. If the parent or other attendant to the infant is unaware of the hot temperature of the retaining device or components associated with it, that parent or other attendant can inadvertently place the infant in the retaining device and cause severe burns to the infant. Indeed, there have been cases where infants have received second degree burns by being inadvertently placed in a retaining device where the carrier itself, or components associated with the carrier have heated up significantly during hot weather conditions.
Not only does the burning of an infant in such a situation create physical injury to the child, which very well may necessitate immediate and serious medical attention, but moreover, may produce mental injury in the form of a strong fear and anxiety, resulting in a resistance to being placed in this or any other type of infant retaining device ever again.
Many so-called infant car seat manufacturers have produced rubber or vinyl or fabric linings which are permanently disposed on the car seat, itself. This lining is supposedly designed to reduce the incidence of burning of an infant child placed in the car seat. The same principle has also been used, to some extent, in other forms of retaining devices. However, the vinyl, rubber-like, and even fabric materials continue to be sensitive to heat and furthermore, are often uncomfortable when the infant is seated in the device which again militates against the use the retaining device.
There has been a need for a heat reflective cover which would shield and protect an infant retaining device during conditions in which the retaining device is disposed and situated in a hot environment as, for example, in the inside of an automotive vehicle. Moreover, there is a need for such a protective cover which is universally adaptable for use with a wide variety of infant retaining devices, such as the so-called "car seat" stroller, or the like.
There have been several proposed seat covers for disposition over seats such as automobile seats, stroller seats, and the like, for purposes of reducing incidence of heat absorption and to a lesser degree the cold, by the seat or components associated with the seat. However, in each case, these covers are lacking in several respects. Most importantly, they are not universally adaptable for use with a variety of different types of infant retaining devices. Secondly, they are not very effective in actually reflecting and/or blocking out sunlight and heat build-up. They tend to rely upon the use of an air film between the actual cover and the seated section of the retaining device to create a type of insulation and this, in and of itself, has only very limited effectiveness. Furthermore, these conventionally proposed seat covers oftentimes do not conform to the seat itself, leaving portions of the seat exposed or with the cover not retentively being held on the seat.
Representative of some of these proposed seat covers are those taught in U.S. Pat. No. 5,150,945, dated Sep. 29, 1992 to Aupperlee, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,478,453, dated Oct. 23, 1984 to Schultz, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,946,221, dated Aug. 7, 1990 to Livingston. Each of these car seat covers are limited in the manner as previously described and suffer from the aforesaid disadvantages. Thus, there has been the need for such a heat protective reflective cover which is easily positioned and removed and universally adaptable for use with a wide variety of infant retaining devices.